Newmont’s Boddington mine in Western Australian is set to become the world’s first open pit gold mine with an autonomous haul truck fleet.

The company announced today that its board had approved a $150 million investment in an Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) at Boddington to enhance safety and productivity, while also extending mine life.

The fleet of autonomous CAT 793F mining trucks is expected to be fully operational at that mine next year.

And Newmont says it sees additional upside potential from introducing the system at other operations.

“Not only does Boddington continue to deliver strong performance, our investment in autonomous haul trucks will generate an internal rate of return greater than 35 per cent with a more controlled and efficient haulage operation,” president and chief executive officer Tom Palmer said.

“We are also uniquely positioned in the gold sector to support effective implementation and operation of the fleet thanks to the technical capabilities and previous experience of leaders in our business. Simply put, Boddington will be a safer, more productive world-class gold mine in a top-tier jurisdiction.”

In addition to Boddington, 135km south-east of Perth, Newmont’s Australian assets include the Tanami underground gold mine in the Northern Territory.